So, are you a trying to become a naturalized citizen of Denmark? If you are then you may need to know it. (Assuming their system is similar to the US.) However if you are just there temporarily then of course not. It's one thing to respect it either way. Stand for it as everyone else as you are on their land. If you are trying to become a citizen then you should (patriotism seems weird in northern europe?)

Not weird, but we are rarely as enthusiastic about patriotism as our American cousins. USA levels of patriotism is amusing to us in a way, but totally harmless, few would see any harm in it.

I live in the US, and i'm not a very patriotic person. But I do always sing the anthem. Partly due to respect as I am native to the nation, but mostly because it is a beautiful song with a great story tied to it. And musically it is brilliant. I absolutely love singing, and our national anthem is fun for me to sing.

Wow. No offense intended (Seriously) but this I just find really creepy. In general nationalists, patriots and overt nationalism and patriotism tends to creep me out. It gives me a subtle sense of some major wreck speeding along hiding behind a banner and song.

As of recent history think of Iraq when it comes to the U.S. How the sense of national pride and patriotism has been warped into a publicly acclaimed at the start, costly and deadly war in the end.

Also tyrants and mad men almost always ride in on waves of populist nationalism and patriotism.

Think of the term Un-American. How can something be Un-American? The very existence of something like that term is an essential contradiction of the American constitution and it's foundations on freedom of tought, opinion and expression.

P.S. The Lyrics of the U.S.A athem are decent enough, but the music is substandard, sounds like a Star Wars soundtrack. Also I don't get why every singer has to reinterpret the damn thing. Sometimes they make it sounds complete rubbish. They should just sing it as it is written for the Pete sake.

Last edited by Mihalik; 2013-02-04 at 04:06 PM.

Originally Posted by Mooneye

Sexual assault is not always rape.

*slowclap*

Originally Posted by Mooneye

Woman rapes a guy, gives birth to child and has custody of the child.
I don't see why you should take the child from the woman unless she abuses it.

You could leave. I mean we don't want you here since you are just using the country for our schools most likely.

Nice how you declare yourself as the voice of the USA.... Whereas you rather sound like the voice of the rather disturbed, quite frankly.

First of all... Many Americans don't give a shit whether a foreigner participates in their self glorification, since many don't like it to be so self glorifying in the first place. Plus, foreigners are just that, foreigners. No one expects them to be enthusiastic. I am a foreigner. And I stand up, hands behind the back, and wait til it's over, out of respect to the Anthem itself.
Secondly, we foreigners come to the US for a multitude of reasons. Many of us don't have children at all that go to American schools. I don't, my child went to school in Europe. And quite honestly.. If I was in the situation to have a child that still goes to school, I'd have the migration to the USA definitely delayed. The US School system is much worse than most European countries systems. If you don't know or believe that. You should check with the Pisa-Studies results.
The US ranks badly behind many others on most topics. So, why would I want my child to be less educated compared to Europeans? if it was for schools. I'd go to Sweden instead. There's top notch schooling.

Anyhow... The OP excluded the USA, and did so with foresight. Apparently the OP knows or learned the big differences..
Many societies have a different relationship to their flags and anthems. Many hold them very high in value, many hold them lower.
For us Germans I think the anthem has lesser value than our flag has for us. We aren't wild about the anthem, and at bigger sports events we see it as a necessity, which everyone waits to be over again, so we can get down to business.....
ahhhhhhhh stop that crap now, lets kick the ball already...
We only really stand behind our anthem when we are in international events. Maybe it's because the others sing theirs, so we sing ours too.
Italians on the other hand, are closer to their anthem and flag.

As for our hymns history... It's melody is from Haydn. From a song made for the Emperor Franz in 1796/97. The text is from a poem..
We only use the third verse since 1991 anymore. Verse 1 and 2 are considered to nationalistic. Thanks to WW1 and 2 we have a problem with nationalism. We're paranoid about that.. Plus verse 1 has regional references which wouldn't reflect our current borders anymore. Everyone would think we want to retake our territory again lol

Why would you leave Europe to teach in the USA? Surely teaching conditions here are much better?

I wanted to get out of the UK and away from family pressures in the long, long ago and ended up marrying an American girl. I don't intend to stay in America much longer now my immediate family are getting out of the family business and, like you said, teaching will be happier back home.

In fact as far as I'm aware the UK is the only european nation that outright bans guns for civilians.

Shotguns I'll give you (provided you're allowed 12 and larger gauges... because I mean... come on...) but not .22s.

You could leave. I mean we don't want you here since you are just using the country for our schools most likely.

"LURVE IT OR LEAVE IT!"

And then I assume you'd break out into "USA" chants for the next eight minutes.

When I was in the States, I'd stand for the anthem but not sing it. I don't even sing my own country's anthem. There's nothing wrong with someone showing respect for something without getting so patriotic that they start water-boarding the nearest person.

I only sing the Danish national anthem when I am drunk at New Year's/important sport events with friends, but damn that's a very amusing time to do so.

Since you are an immigrant I guess most Danes would assume that you have bigger issues than learning the national anthem when moving to our country. Most will of course respect that, and be grateful that you decided to show interrest in our country, and therefore have no issue whatsoever if they somehow end up noticing that you don't know such a small thing as our national anthem.

As for our hymns history... It's melody is from Haydn. From a song made for the Emperor Franz in 1796/97. The text is from a poem..
We only use the third verse since 1991 anymore. Verse 1 and 2 are considered to nationalistic. Thanks to WW1 and 2 we have a problem with nationalism. We're paranoid about that.. Plus verse 1 has regional references which wouldn't reflect our current borders anymore. Everyone would think we want to retake our territory again lol

The regional references are really no problem. You could alter the text easily to account for the new borders. ("Oder" instead of "Maas", "zum Rheine" instead of "an die Memel", "den Alpen" instead of "der Etsch", "nach Sylt" instead of "an den Belt")

They are indeed a bit nationalistic, but at least they are honest. They say the words that each other anthem avoids but implies.
But stupid Nazis ruining good songs...